Deep Impact

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"The Deep Impact spacecraft continues to close on Comet Tempel 1, a comet roughly the size of Manhattan."
Deep Impact
"On July 4 (1:52 am EDT) if everything goes as scheduled, the 370-kilogram Impactor will strike Tempel 1's surface at over 14,000 kilometers per hour."
Astronomy Picture of the Day

"... see if you get an idea for something to do in your community."
Your community


Click on image for other drawings.
Maybe one is from your child.
last edited: 6/29/05 6:58:12 AM”

“Comet Dress Rehearsal
June 27, 2005 | In images that Hubble officials are calling a dress rehearsal of things to come, astronomers used the space telescope to catch Comet Tempel 1 shooting out an unexpected jet of dust on June 14th. The same comet will be in the eyepiece of many telescopes in the American Southwest on the evening of July 3rd (local time), when NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft sends a probe slamming into its nucleus.

Watching Comet Tempel 1 — and Deep Impact
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“yowza !!”

“Space Weather News for July 2, 2005
http://spaceweather.com

SUNSPOTS GALORE:
Only a few days ago the sun was completely blank,
but now it is peppered with fast-growing sunspots.
So far these active regions have produced no strong
solar flares, but this could change if their dynamic
growth continues. Visit spaceweather.com for
movies of the growing 'spots and safe solar
observing tips.

REMINDER:
Far from Earth, NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft is
about to poke a hole through the crust of Comet
Tempel 1. When? July 3rd at 10:52 p.m. PDT (July
4th at 0552 UT). A plume of gas and dust emerging
from the hole could cause the comet to brighten so
much that sky watchers on Earth can see it through
binoculars or even with the unaided eye from dark=
sky sites. Observers in the western United States,
Hawaii, Mexico and parts of Central and South
America are favored. From those places the comet
hangs in the southwestern sky after sunset on July
3rd--at the right place and time to view the impact.
If the comet does brighten, it will look like a faint
fuzzy smudge not far from the bright star Spica.
Visit spaceweather.com for a sky map and
observing tips.”

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A Swift Look at Tempel 1
Comet Tempel 1 is targeted for a collision with the impactor probe from NASA's Deep Impact Spacecraft at about 1:52am EDT on July 4th (other time zones). ... Want to follow the encounter? Media coverage chronicling the event, and the possibilities for viewing the comet with small telescopes can be found through the Deep Impact website.

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hosting your own Comet Party

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last edited: 7/03/05 9:07:12 AM”

“View Near Real-Time Images from Deep Impact

NASA Television
last edited: 7/03/05 9:29:11 AM”

“Can they also poke a hole in the bottom of heavens' golden streets, so some will fall into my back yard?”

“Cool!”

“I want to hear more about that astrologer who's suing NASA for allegedly messing up her horoscopes.”

“Maybe her predictions improved greatly after the "Impactor" hit the comet.”